We’re joined by Ibrahim Halawa for episode #110 of Paddy Holohan’s No Shame Podcast. Ibrahim, a human rights activist, is currently studying Law in UCD. The Tallaght native was wrongfully imprisoned without trial in 2013, while on a family holiday to Egypt. At the time, Ibrahim was just 17 years of age & would spend the next 4 years in Egyptian prison, finally being released in October 2017 & acquitted of all charges. This weeks podcast is the full story of Ibrahim’s journey to freedom, told from his perspective.
Halawa attended a protest in Rabaa Square, Cairo during that Summer after two of his friends had been shot dead by the military, under the command of Sisi (The current President of Egypt). The protest quickly turned violent, with 97 people being killed by soldiers. Ibrahim & his sisters took refuge in a mosque with almost 500 other protesters. The protesters spent two days in the Mosque with no food or water. It had been reported on various media outlets that the mosque had been burned with everyone inside perishing from the fire.
At the same time his 'death' was being announced on Egyptian TV, Ibrahim was streaming live on Facebook. It was a move that possibly saved the lives of everyone trapped inside as the Dublin native later realised the military were planning to shoot everyone & use the fire story as a coverup. Those plans were scrapped once various news stations picked up on Ibrahim’s feed.
Everyone in the Mosque was instead captured & brought to a military camp in the dessert, where they were held in inhumane conditions for over 50 days. Ibrahim had been separated from his sisters & feared for their safety above all else.
After surviving the horrific conditions of the camp Ibrahim was eventually sentenced to prison without trial for crimes that he didn’t commit, this has been proven by eye witness accounts. There was no timeline on a release date, conditions hadn’t improved much from camp, however there was a silver-lining for Halawa with the news that his sisters had been released & were able to return home to Ireland.
During his time in prison Halawa was kept in darkness, was rarely aloud out of his cell but remained in good spirits by praying, rapping Eminem lyrics & teaching Irish slang to some of his prison mates, 'Whats the craic'.
Halawa speaks of the strength his family gave him during his time in captivity. They kept him going through hell & never gave up hope of his release. Ibrahim tells Paddy of the Irish government’s reluctance to get involved with his case during his time in captivity & it wasn’t until the intervention of then, MEP, Lynn Boylan, that the tide began to change. The Sinn Féin politician, along with human rights Lawyer Darragh Mackin, made their way to Egypt to meet Ibrahim & began a campaign for his release. Lynn raised the issue in the European Parliament & called on the Irish people to support the campaign for Ibrahim’s freedom.
In the mean time depression had kicked in for the Tallaght native, he was sharing a cell with 120 other people, it was pitch black, the prison guards were regularly beating him due to his high profile in the media, his mother was suffering from cancer back home in Ireland. Halawa began a hunger strike in the hope that it would get him out of jail one way or another. The hunger strike would last for 87 days.
In Ireland, the campaign had gained massive traction, there was huge support from the Irish people, putting pressure on the Irish government to intervene. During this time Enda Kenny had stepped down as Taoiseach & Leo Varadkar had taken over. Varadkar contacted the Egyptian government calling on Ibrahim to be released, adding massive weight to the campaign.
Eventually the day of trial arrived.
